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The CS130 that I installed as part of this write-up died last month. Sadly the local rebuilder I used
is no longer in business. I found another who was closer, and who seemed well reviewed.
It took several tries to get a workable alternator from them, with most issues being they did not follow
instructions about clocking or mount location/spacing. When we got past those issues the results were
quite positive, with less voltage swing from idle to higher RPMs. One thing they did get right on the first try
was my request for a smaller pulley. I went from a 2.75" to a 2.375", which resulted in charging voltage
kicking in between 600 and 650 RPM, so no more dimming headlights while idling at a stop

I was able to install the VR kit and qualify for an SB100 build, so no more smog tests for me.
I ended up with a string of unfortunate events with test stations before I was directed to a STAR
station. None had the right adapters to test the evap/gas tank. A couple marked it as not tested,
others wanted to refuse the test (one wanted to fail it). In the end not a single station ever tested
the evap. On the second test after I bought it the tech could tell it was going to fail, so he aborted
the test a couple times. That did not hurt my status, but also masked the test results, so I could not
tell what was failing, and as a result did not know what needed fixing. The car was running well,
mileage was reasonable and had new plugs and a recently replaced cat.
Perhaps foolishly, I asked the tech to run the test to completion so I could identify the culprit. He did,
which pointed to a slightly rich situation, which turned out to be a very slightly mis-adjustment on the
TPS, which I had not been touched since I bought it, and had passed testing in the past. A few minutes
with the FSM and all was well, and I passed at the same shop the same day as I failed, but that got me
flagged for all future tests to be performed at STAR stations.
The final straw that pushed me to go for the SB100, was even if I bought a beater to qualify for
classic insurance, not a single shop I spoke to was familiar with that set of rules. I am glad to hear that
some shop owners are aware if it and make sure their techs are as well. That can only be good news
for Z owners in their area.

Depending on the family age ranges it might be worth reminding them that Yosemite is a national park
and not a petting zoo. The critters are used to the visitors, but not tame.
That and bring more water than you think you should need.

The mirrors are Miata manual units. The looked fairly good with the original body lines
and quite good on the VR. I mounted them about an inch too far forward and did not
catch that until after all body work and paint was done. That does not impact the drivers
but made the passenger side have limited usable range. I would not hesitate to
install them again, especially if I could find a new pair at a good price.
I daily drive it and could not tolerate losing any visibility, so keeping the windows was
a purely practical decision, but I do like the way it looks with the blacked out window frames.
I catch people staring at it several times a week, usually with appreciating nods, thumbs-up and
a lot of 'what the heck is that?'

I have one in San Jose, CA. It came off a 76 and was clean at the time. It has been sitting
behind my garage for a couple years. Shipping would be a pain, so if SJ is not too far to
go to pick it up, I will pull it out and make sure it is still solid.

Funny you mention using multiple sensors, as that is actually what the DIY Auto Tune
wheel does. it just happens that both sensors are in the dizzy housing. The outer ring
of slots is two groups of 11 (looking like a 12-1 wheel to the ECU), the inner ring is a single
larger slot that indicates the engine is in the first half of the cycle.
Mounting a hunk of metal on the front of one cam gear that covers 180 degrees could be
read by a HALL effect sensor and relatively tolerant in alignment, certainly within the
range the valve cover would vary. The truly pedantic could install pins between the cover
and head to encourage consistency. This half-moon CAM wheel with a 36-1 crank wheel
(a-la EDIS) would be 3X as accurate as the DIY wheel and less prone to valve train slop
issues.
If the hardest part of installing the head is figuring out how to mount a cam sensor, assuming
the CAS no longer fit, I'd be a happy camper.

Yes is stock 280ZX turbo 'distributor'. The only change was the 50mm optical gate wheel was
replaced with one from DIYautotune.com for use with a MS Sequencer.
I do have a cap on it, but only to keep crud out. I've since acquired a mill and lathe, and really should
come up with a cleaner solution, but I enjoy watching the double take when someone looks under the
hood...

I am surprised Miata mirrors have not been mentioned yet. Door mounted with
a very similar curve to the door where they mount. I choose a manual set for
easier install, and my only complaint is people whacking them in parking lots.
Not old school classic looks, but not hideous and very functional.

The Frost Fighter grid is delivered on sheets much like wax paper and has an adhesive
on the grid itself. By its nature it is a universal fit with the intent that you would trim the
width to fit.
On one of my hatches I used a razor blade to remove the lingering remnants of the original
grid and then cut the FF grid into individual strips. That way I could carefully apply the grid
lines directly over the original, which had stained the glass, so even scrapping could not
fully remove them.
The kit also includes new bus bars to distribute power to the grid. The manufacture does
not recommend using the factory bus, but it may be possible if additional resistance is added.
The result was fairly good, and much better than nothing. I plan to do it again and may try
adding a dab of solder to the joint between the individual grid lines and the bus bar, as a
couple of the lines worked poorly compared to the others.

I've run into other reports like FricFrac's, so I was why I was asking here.
After fixing the TPS side pigtail The results are much better, but not perfect. I will
recheck the connections near the TPS, although it may be good enough and I
am being too fussy.

I had a quick peek at your new website and noted a LS2/T56 swap project in the works, so I feel less
odd asking, but what about the same concept using the T56? A custom friction disk would be required,
and perhaps a pilot bushing, both of which can be sourced far easier than a custom bell housing or
adapter for the L6 (unless someone with the right skill is interested).

Not sure what the Painless jumper wire is, but it is not uncommon to
connect the Sense pin to the battery lug. As for the exciter, that would
likely go to the lamp pin. Do you have a photo of the alternator connections?
I don't think you should connect anything to the stator lug (assuming it is a lug)

I am still wondering what folks are seeing for a their TPS calibrations, but I think
I fixed the signal drop out. I decided to start with the only connector in the harness
that I did not terminate and assemble myself, the TPS pigtail on the 'new' TPS.
I was thinking maybe bondo dust or moisture snuck in while it was at the paint shop.
Well as soon as I started to unplug it I noticed the TPS signal pin was pulled out
of the connector. The first inspection showed the pin lock had not been pressed out
far enough, but after fixing the simple little tang, I determined that either the connector
was mis-aligned or the lock catch damaged in the 'new' TPS, since every time I
put the ends together the pin pushed back out.
After addressing the floppy pin I have not been able to reproduce any off the issues, and
as an extra perk I think it solved a problem that appeared to be a failing fuel pump relay.
I only have a couple miles on the repair, but the problems had been easily occurring multiple
times in the same span before the repair, so hopes are high.